Loxley Custom Guitars aka my new Strat neck build journey...

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Hey guys.
My relic surf green Strat has needed a new neck for a while - the current one is too thin from being sanded down to remove the worst of a brand (the burn into wood kind) that a previous owner with a knack for poor life choices decided to add.
I’ve thought long and hard about how best to replace the neck. Lots of mulling over the prices of stock necks versus how much extra I’d need to get something *special* and suited to this relic guitar happened, and then more thinking, and then MORE thinking and in the end I decide to message a FB friend of mine, Matt Loxley (Loxley Custom Guitars. Blow your mind here https://www.loxleyguitars.co.uk/ ) to see if he fancied making one for me. I’ve watched Matt make some incredible guitars over the past couple of years and his particular skill set *best Liam Neilson voice* has me pretty excited about the new neck Rogue is going to end up with.

I had a chat with Matt and we both thought -well, I did and then Matt kindly agreed - it’d be cool to document this neck coming to life on a thread. There’s a shit ton of work that goes into making a neck and I’m the kind of nerd who LOVES watching this stuff in progress.
And I’m pretty sure most of you are EXACTLY that kind of nerd too.
Right?
AMIRIGHT?
*holds up hand for a high five*
So, game on!
Yesterday saw Matt sending me over pictures of some maple and rosewood blanks for my perusal, and here are the ones I’ve chosen...
Just realised I don’t know where the rosewood is from?
I’m guessing India but I’ll check with Matt and get back to you on that...
EDIT: yep, it’s Indian.

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Kudos; you’re an insightful man @Chu
Gear projects give me something safe in my head to *escape* to when other things in my head are being less than kind.
For that reason alone they’re 100% worth the cash.
Add in they bring me further joy when they’re finished and I get to play and enjoy the finished result?
That would make them 150% worth the cash.

Well-Known Member

@bad alice it intrigues me seeing how everyone has their own motivations with gear. There really is no 'one size fits all approach. If gear allows you to improve mental health in any way, that's to be celebrated.

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Matt’s just sent over some more pics
So here’s where we’re at.
He’s cut the blank to about the thickness the neck will be, it’s revealed some cool swirly lines of mineral deposits which’ll look awesome against the flame that runs through this bit of maple once the neck is finished...

Here’s the area of wood that will become the neck; the centre line is where the truss rod will run and that line also gives Matt his centrepoint for the entire neck as he carves and shapes it into a more familiar S-type shape...

Btw there’ll be no Fender type decal on this headstock. Matt and I have agreed the Loxley logo belongs on this neck.
What is that going to look like?
.

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Some update pics arrived from Matt today.
And he was good enough to explain what’s been happening.
Let’s get straight into it...
“Got some time in the workshop today even though I was feeling rubbish. Cleared the decks and got a number of fingerboards ready to be worked on. This is how I radius the boards. After hours of hand sanding ebony in the past this set up is brilliant. 2 to 3 passes per side and it's done. It only requires a few passes with the block.”

“That's the router table with a radius cutting bit in it. It has a bearing that runs down the middle of the board. Three careful passes and the side is radiused. Flip the board use the centre line and route the other side.”
I’m abandoning thumbnails for these last two pics as I’m super please at how luscious the rosewood for the fretboard looks. Tight-grained-chocolately goodness like this needs FULL SIZE pics...
Mmmmmmmm...

Woof!

That's interesting. I bought a set of those radiusing router bits a while ago but had bad results on the one fretboard that I tried it on, so I abandoned them. I've just bought a new jig to do it with a palm router, although I'm having trouble getting the right size of collet and in any case I'm not ready to radius another fretboard yet. Soon, though.

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Update TIME!
And a decision to make too
Alrighty, first up some progress pics from last time;
Is that a truss rod?
You betcha...
Sweet.
And the fretboard’s looking good too...
Today Matt cut the neck to shape
“As the truss rod has been routed and put in place the neck can be rough cut out. A small maple fillet will be placed over the barrel of the truss rod to lock it in place. Then a hole will be drilled in the end to allow adjustment”
The decision I have to make is about a visual detail
But if you know me at all by now, you know that I get hung up on dem details in
They’re often what can make or break the way an entire guitar looks.
So, this particular choice is what to use as inlay fill for the Loxley “L” logo that’ll be on the headstock. Here’s one filled with white MOP on a headstock for another of Matt’s builds.
I’m torn between this or abalone.
Hmmm...
Guess what’ll be my procrastination fuel over the next wee while?

half rock, half gas

Easily distracted and...OHLOOKAGUITAR!!!

Morning guys.
My brain’s chock full of loads of Dad/life/work decisions and planning at the moment but NEVER FEAR!
One decision has been put to bed this morning and the weight of relief thatI no longer have to carry this agonising burden is...substantial
<HUGE deep breath in>
.

..

...
<exhales>
ABALONE it is!
My thoughts are that the blue/green will tie in rather beautifully with the guitar’s surf green body...